Lazy Days

...waking up to double the cuddles with my pup and our overnight doggy guest.

...to catch up on thinking

...to savor coffee

...to get up early enough to catch the dew on the grass but still feel rested

...to write and write and write

...to not feel guilty about blowing off responsibility for a while

...to let my hair dry into a crazy indecisive wavy/straight mix

...to walk slowly in the sunshine

...to let music play all day

...to chase a headache away

...to relax, renew, recharge for what comes next

...to plan, catch up, get ahead, and create

Triumph

That moment where you take a deep, satisfying, relieved breath to enjoy the lifting of a burden that has been dwelling there for months...

when you realize you made it through

and maybe even did okay in the process

Next time will be better, you think.

And then you chuckle.

Next time?? Bring it on.

Exhausted Praying

That kind of exhaustion that comes with constantly being beaten over the head with how much you don't know...by the mistakes you make chasing after what those seasoned by years in the profession know now by instinct...with trying to push through it all to make it all work...

It's the kind of exhaustion I am looking forward to experiencing less frequently down the road...

Because now, this very second, I find myself recalling the frequency they told us that our goal the first year would become survival...and here I am, hoping to make it through, cringing at mistakes, praying for strength, wisdom, patience beyond measure, love, and rest.

But I pray this not just for myself, but those in their own forms of survival mode, too...because we are never alone...

My New [Possible] Obsession

After months of considering, researching, and getting some time to play in my mom's, I buckled down ands bought an iPad.

What finally convinced me was a) all of the possible applications in my classroom and b) the dodgy sound on my laptop. Not so conducive to Skyping amidt a long distance relationship, as it turns out.

I have to admit I was second guessing it a lot when I first took it out of the box and started setting it up. I was super-reluctant about anything with a touch screen and resisted them for a good, long while. After spending some time exploring apps and playing around with it, though, I love it. One of my favorite things so far has been how great the sound is so I can play music while puttering around my apartment. It's now my favorite cleaning companion.

I'm pretty excited to see what else I can do with it...including with this blog. Perhaps some more vlogs will be in order. :)

Doubled Puppy Love

I'm not sure who loves Squirt's friend Danny more, him or me.

What I can tell you, though, is that the only thing better than coming home and getting bombarded by a little bundle of furry joy is getting bombarded by that little bundle of furry joy and his big bundle of ecstatic energy sidekick when I go to get my pup. It's the perfect pick-me-up at the end of the school day.

Danny even came over to play tonight for a while because it was really nice having the extra company for a bit.

Dogs...the perfect companions for when you want to be left alone but don't want to be alone,

when you want to cuddle,

when you're cold,

when you want to be needed,

when you need an extra dose of love,

when you want to be reminded that you're adored even when the ones who would are far away,

when you want to play for a while instead of work,

whenever.

Every day it's becoming more clear why they call dogs man's best friend. Getting Squirt was definitely one of the best decisions I've ever made. I don't know how I could've gotten through some of these weeks without him.

Thanks

For surprise hugs at the absolute perfect moment,

a day that has an end,

learning to learn and move on,

a strawberry literally the size of my palm and the perfect sweetness,

double the dog kisses and cuddles,

having friends nearby,

a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from an amazingly thoughtful boyfriend,

a surprisingly yummy homemade dinner,

phone calls being easier than expected,

a clean kitchen and bathroom,

plans for a hot shower,

a Skype date to look forward to,

and good music....

I am thankful today.

Victory, I Claim Thee

It's a proven fact that first year teachers get sick all. the. time. Proven by me, even, much to my despair and/or frequent attempts to persuade my body to be anything BUT ill.

Today, my friends, I sit in this chair to type to you that the W-L column officially has a 1 in the W column now.

A few weeks ago I was boasting that out of the onslaught of ailments [Read: 3] making rounds in my classroom, I had only had 2/3 of them.

This morning I thought for sure karma came back to bite me in the butt. My eyes were itchy, watery, and all around disGUSTing. I feared the worst: pink eye. I called the secretary in a panic to find out what the protocol is for that.

Went to school.

Went to eye doctor over lunch.

Was told it wasn't pink eye.

Breathed a sigh of relief.

Thanked God for allergies.

Laughed about thanking God for allergies.

*pause*blink*pause*

*burst into song and dance*

BOOYAH, GERMS! YOU DIDN'T GET ME THIS TIME! SHABAM!

That's right, my immune system is [slightly] awesome today.

Now, about those allergies...